Last year the Chemistry and Physics teachers in Queens were sent to William Cullen Bryant high school to grade. The school is notorious for its horrible Leadership Academy Principal and for removing senior teachers on questionable 3020-a charges. While these visiting teachers are not directly affected by the actions of this terrible Principal, she does determine where the teachers are doing the Regents grading.
Last year, she put the teachers in an non-air conditioned library, with no offer of liquids. Moreover, the area has no parking available and the school has no parking lot. While I might understand that the DOE might have made a mistake in selecting this location last year because they didn't investigate the situation, the fact that the DOE, for the second straight year, selected the same unacceptable grading location shows how uncaring the DOE are to teachers and their complaints.
One teacher told me that the DOE sent him an e-mail that to dress comfortably and bring water to the grading site and don't even think of bringing your car. That means the DOE was well aware of the problems of selecting the William Cullen Bryant grading site and didn't care! With so many high schools available that have both parking and air conditioning. Bayside, Francis Lewis, Cardozo, Jamaica Campus, Springfield Gardens Campus, Martin Van Buren, John Bowne, Campus Magnet, Forest Hills, John Adams/Richmond Hill, Hugh School of Teaching, Maspeth, and Metropolitan high schools why Bryant?
The answer is simple. The DOE does not care to make teachers comfortable. Instead they make their lives difficult by the overwintering paperwork, inadequate resources, poor administrators, and terrible working conditions and the selection of Bryant high school is just another example of making a teacher's life as difficult as possible by the DOE.
Headed to August Martin High School tomorrow, which has limited parking (I plan on getting there really early) and I don't believe any AC. There's also nowhere to eat that's within walking distance, so if you don't already know that, you're screwed.
ReplyDeleteI have often wondered how the kids feel taking regents in these conditions. Some schools are centrally air conditioned but most are sweat factories.. The students in the comfortable buildings must do better - they just must and it would be interesting to see if this could be proved. The students and their parents in the sweat factories should complain!!! Obviously the DOE won't care if teachers said something but what if the kids did? It seems soooooooo unfair!!!!
ReplyDeleteHero Teachers Slated for Termination
ReplyDeleteBy UFT Solidarity
June 17, 2015
Uncategorized
In the fall of 2014, a physical education teacher from William Bryant High School found the classroom he was given to be hazardous. He asked Principal Namita Dwarka to change rooms and she denied the requests. He made the decision to move his students to another room and called OSHA. OSHA came in and after an inspection they immediately shut down the room. This did not stop the Principal Dwarka from giving him a disciplinary letter for moving the students without permission.
The teacher was also a witness to a cheating scandal the Principal Dwarka was allegedly involved in and interviewed by DOE investigators.
Principal cheats on tests by pretending students are immigrants …
Teachers: Despised Queens principal changed grades from failing …
This hero teacher also found hundreds of thousands of dollars unaccounted for in addition to many other acts of misconduct.
$195K unaccounted for at NYC high school | New York Post
Last week he was served with termination papers alleging incompetence. Meanwhile he has never been rated ineffective!
UFT Solidarity is closely watching the reaction from Queens UFT and the actions of the superintendent and DOE lawyers.
Bizarre Behavior Coming from Queens UFT Office
UFT Solidarity, New Action and Alumni Stood Tall in Support of the William Bryant HS Community
The teacher, who already had a lawsuit against Principal Dwarka, is telling us he expects to make his termination hearing open to the public so he can continue to expose the broken system that is the NYC Department of Education. For now, they have him showcased in the main office pertaining calculators. Sources tell us there are over 475 educators reassigned to these duties in their schools and district offices. Many who contact UFT Solidarity are whistleblowers.
In similar news
Johnathan Hinesley is a chapter leader who was also called incompetent and banished to the basement by Principal Liza Ortiz of the Bronx. He was brought up on termination charges soon after he asked for support, asked for some documentation and filed grievances. His principal prevents Johnathan’s members from going to him and allegedly watches the cameras closely. Johnathan joins a growing list of chapter leaders and delegates who come under the gun after raising concerns in the school and taking union titles. The UFT, although has passed resolutions to protect school union leaders , has not stepped up to the plate to defend and support.
Do not work for Ms. Dwarka, she pushed out more than 100 staff members out and she will destroy your career if she does not like you or if you question her in anything.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the Bryant situation to be clear the classroom was a fitness room in the basement, adjacent to the boys locker room and 30 feet from the boys bathroom. The floor mats that students were to sit or lie on to do exercises was filthy and full of mold. The equipment was used by over 300 students daily and never cleaned or sanitized. In addition, the day that OSHA came in the entire Physical Education Department ( men and women ) were told that they had 3 days to remove their belongings from their office. When the APO was asked where the stuff should be put he said he didn't know, but whatever was left was to be thrown out. The teachers were left to carry most of there belongings with them. The room was then given to the custodians for storage. ( The entire Physical Education Department was punished ). She is an evil, vindictive person who commits criminal acts, personal attacks and constantly lies in her dealings with teachers. Whoever is protecting her may you rot in hell and the souls of those that this beast has hurt spit fire on you for eternity. And you can join them Rona Freiser - you 2 faced bitch - feeding info from union members to DOE lawyers.
ReplyDeleteAnon 8:16 I can confirm that story. The physical education department was down in that office for over 50 years. That is the exact definition of retaliation. OSHA still hasn't substantiated the whistleblower complaint which is a case of "Government failure ."
ReplyDeleteHow many years now are we reading and hearing stories about hot box classrooms and schools. For so many years now this has been the case. Some schools are fully equipped with air conditioning but many STILL suffer from heat filled schools with no relief from hot weather. So this story is old Chaz but what this story does point out is that this crap has been going on for decades. The nycdoe is quite possibly the most dysfunctional organization on the planet. It is quite disturbing that we have to have this discussion every end of year, summer school and the return of school in september as the weather is still hot in sept.....In my next lifetime I will make sure that I stay far away from the nycdoe...as far as possible.
ReplyDeleteATRs stay away from that school, she got two ATRs in trouble. She is trying to make a name for herself of tough but all her decisions are backfiring her all over.
ReplyDeleteHow is it that little girls from birth are treated like little pink pancakes and are always dressed in pink when they are growing up but then suddenly in adulthood they become these evil monsters? Moskowitch is someone who was once a little girl growing up in nyc and i am sure she had all the pink teddy bears and pink dresses, walked around with ponytails and white walking shoes. Now, we have this wart faced goon who feels like she is a man, walks like a man, earns a salary like a man - (sorry woman) - i would love to say looks like a man but i will refrain. But the question to me is this: Bruce Jenner wanted to become a woman so maybe we have moskowitch wanting to become a man ....its very possible
ReplyDeleteSituation at August Martin HS is abysmal. Rooms hotter than hell. No working water fountain unless you go down to the first floor. Gillian Smith thinks she's above the law- she told a clearly observant Jewish teacher (who was planning on working per session) that if she missed the Saturday scoring session for religious reasons- her words were "I don't care about religion- if you're absent, I'll replace you with somebody else"- which is bullshit, because they've been begging for Living Environment scorers all week.
ReplyDeleteThe room leaders are incompetent- there is gross disorganization,and test booklets are being treated like garbage (I saw a stack on a windowsill, wind blowing in, crumpled and looking like junk. The one in my room couldn't answer a basic content question.
Wonderful post, Thank you for that.
ReplyDeleteSchool Franchise in UP, Best School in Lucknow
The question is why is the DOE of NYC and the UFT are protecting Abusive Principals instead of teachers and APs who have standards? The Chancellor is also neglecting the needs of our students by protecting the autocrat Dwarka. More articles about the corruption of Bryant will be seen promptly in the newspaper and will continue until she steps down.
ReplyDeleteStark is one of Field Supervisors trying to get rid of ATRs, he writes an observation like you know the students and you have been working with them. If you are harassed and intimidated, find a complaint against him with the EEOC.
ReplyDeleteDwarka has ruined the school, she has produced the worse results ever concerning the regents since the school has been opened.
ReplyDeleteShe has also destroyed the math department of the school, by pushing out a competent AP.
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